The present disclosure relates to an image forming apparatus for forming an image on a sheet, and more particularly, to an image forming apparatus provided with an exposure device for forming an electrostatic latent image on an image carrier.
Conventionally, there has been known, as an image forming apparatus for forming an image on a sheet, an image forming apparatus provided with an exposure device and a image forming unit including a photosensitive drum and a developing device. The image forming apparatus is configured such that an electrostatic latent image is formed on the photosensitive drum by the exposure device, and the electrostatic latent image is developed into a toner image by the developing device.
The exposure device is provided with a laser diode, and a seal glass having a dust-proof function in a housing. Laser light emitted from the laser diode is guided to a drum surface of the photosensitive drum which is rotated in a sub scanning direction through the transparent seal glass, while being scanned in a main scanning direction.
Further, conventionally, there has been known a technology of generating cooling air in an image forming apparatus for preventing transfer of heat generated in a fixing device to a toner casing such as a developing device. In the case where cooling air is allowed to flow in the image forming apparatus, as disclosed in the above technology, dust or dirt flowing in from the outside of the image forming apparatus may adhere to the seal glass of the exposure device. If dust or dirt adheres to the seal glass in the image forming apparatus, part of laser light may be blocked and the image quality may be degraded. In view of the above, there is disposed a partition wall which restricts a cooling air path between the photosensitive drum and the exposure device.
In view of the above, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a configuration that enables to avoid a likelihood that a partition member for guiding cooling air may obstruct an operation of mounting and dismounting an image forming unit to and from an apparatus body of an image forming apparatus.